The Niigata Prefectural Government in Japan on the 21st approved the restart of the world's largest nuclear power plant—Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. This is a key step towards resuming operations at the plant after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi stated at a press conference that he "will approve" the restart of the plant. The restart of this nuclear power plant still requires final approval from Japan's nuclear regulatory authority. If the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant is approved for restart, it will be the first time since the March 2011 tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant that operator Tokyo Electric Power Company has resumed operation of a nuclear plant.
Japan shut down all its nuclear plants after the March 11, 2011 earthquake, and the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant also ceased operations.
But now, this resource-poor country hopes to revive nuclear power generation and reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels.
After rigorous safety inspections, 14 nuclear reactors in Japan have resumed operation, mainly located in the western and southern regions.